Better Rice Initiative Asia- Monthly Update

Transcription

1 Contribute to Better Rice Production and Nutrition in South East Asia Better Rice Initiative Asia- Monthly Update Volume : 09 November 2015 Editor s Note BRIA s Success of On-Going Implementation BRIA has fully implemented its activities in Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines. In Thailand s Ubon Ratchathani Province, a combine harvester has been introduced as part of a farm mechanisation programme to a demo plot in Bua Ngarm Community Rice Centre (CRC) in Det Udom District. Apart from the current Training for Sustainable Rice Production, BRIA is offering a financial analysis of an innovative agribusiness model. The overall objective of BRIA Indonesia s nutrition component is to enhance the nutritional status of poor population groups in the country. In order to achieve this goal, interventions focus on broader access to fortified rice and nutritious foods. In the Philippines, the Centre for Rural Development (SLE) of Humboldt University of Berlin completed its study on Improving Market Access of Smallholder Rice Producers as input for BRIA Philippines operation planning. BRIA Vietnam held its inception workshop on November 13 th, During this festive event, BRIA and its public and private partners celebrated the official launch of the project. The BRIA Regional Knowledge Sharing Workshop on Best Rice Cultivation Practices was successfully concluded from November 3 rd to 5 th, 2015, in Bangkok. Many BRIA stakeholders took part in this workshop and shared their valuable experiences. In the light of the ongoing activities and efforts, BRIA is convinced to extend its success, reaching more smallholder rice farmers in Southeast Asia. Suriyan Vichitlekarn, BRIA Regional Director Kamol Taukitphaisarn, BRIA Communication

2 Combine Harvester for Improved Rice Production Thailand On October 26 th 2015, BRIA organised a ceremony to appreciate the donation of a combine harvester by John Deere (Thailand) Limited to the Bua Ngarm Community Rice Centre (CRC), in Det Udom District, Ubon Ratchathani Province. Dr. Apichart Pongsrihadulchai, Advisor to the Director General of the Rice Department, who chaired the ceremony, pointed out that Ubon Ratchathani has the largest area under rice cultivation in Thailand. But farmers in this province face many problems. Compared to the central plain, productivity per rai is relatively low in the northeast. Here, rice cultivation is mainly rain-fed and highly depends on the availability of water in the respective season. BRIA has, therefore, selected Ubon Ratchathani for the implementation of Training for Sustainable Rice Production, in collaboration with the Rice Department, the Department of Agricultural Extension, and Bayer CropScience. Dr. Apichart added that, apart from water scarcity, labour shortage negatively affects rice production, especially during harvest. The new combine harvester will help to alleviate this burden for the next crop production cycle in 2015/2016. The machine combines the three harvesting operations of reaping, threshing and winnowing into one single process, thus significantly reducing harvest costs and losses. Training on how to operate the machine is also supported by John Deere. In combination with the harvester, BRIA promotes the concept of large field management currently implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives (MoAC). According to Dr. Apichart, smallholder farmers will be brought together to consolidate their land to a total of 500-1,000 hectares. The farmers keep their ownership and intensify their farm practise. They will form farmers organisation and set up an executive committee with a field manager. The overall objectives are to achieve economy of scale, to facilitate the integration of work among public agencies, and to improve smallholder farmers access to the market and innovative technology. The Bua Ngarm CRC has some 64 members. Supervised by a committee of five members, headed by Mr. Wasana Abhaikrotra, the CRC leader, the machine will be offered to both members and non-members to boost the farmer network and create synergies. The cost efficiency analysis prepared by BRIA suggests charging a rental fee of THB 600 per rai. John Deere believes that the machine will help farmers to harvest in time, maximise grain yield and quality, and reduce post-harvest losses for a more sustainable rice production. John Deere (Thailand) Limited is a subsidiary of Deere & Company, the largest agriculture machinery company in the world. 2

3 Cost Efficiency Analysis Harvesting machine Model Input Model Output 1 Analysis based on data provided by farmers during field visits Harvesting machine Harvesting by hand Labour costs BAHT / day 315 Manpower needed FTE / RAI / day 4 Total labour cost BAHT / RAI 1,260 Harvesting cost (BAHT / RAI) 1,260 Conclusion Based on financial analysis, harvesting machine leads to a harvesting efficiency gain, but the following caveats were assessed: During harvesting process, machine needs to be cleaned every 2 hours (duration ~20 minutes) Complete cleaning of machine if rice variety changes (duration ~2-3 hours) - 54% Based on rice field structure of CRC, transportation costs can rapidly increase, efficient plan needed Harvest by hand Purchase Rental In case of machine breakdown JD only offers a maintenance service of hours (long harvesting downtime) Purchase or rental of harvesting machine leads to efficiency gain of more than 50% (excluding transportation costs) Training costs are sponsored by John Deere Cost-effectiveness and service of competitors (Kubota / Claas) should be assessed as well, esp. regarding maintenance service 3

4 Stimulating Private Sector s Engagement to Fight Dietary Deficiency Indonesia Rice fortification is a practical and cost-effective way to provide essential micronutrients within a rice-based diet. Children, in particular, need sufficient amounts of selected micronutrients to develop their full cognitive, physical and productive potential. BRIA is committed to creating a sustainable fortified rice chain in Indonesia in order to target especially those who are malnourished. The project is cooperating with public and private partners, including DSM, to fortify local rice that has a potential to fulfil dietary requirements and suits the preferences of the Indonesian market. In line with this goal, BRIA has successfully stimulated the interest of the private sector to join the fortified rice business. A number of small and big companies have become interested in producing premix kernels and fortified rice. Premix kernels are artificially produced rice kernels composed of a micronutrient premix and rice flour. Premix kernels are homogenously mixed with regular rice to produce fortified rice. Previously, the trial production of premix kernels for the BRIA project were produced at a small facility at Bogor Agricultural University (IPB). Now, the PT Fits Mandiri Company has invested in new and bigger facilities, in which up to kg kernels per hour can be produced. The imported machines were placed at a new building in IPB Science Park. PT Fits Mandiri aims to become the first premix kernel producer in Indonesia and to build up a training centre for other producers who are interested in developing a premix kernel business. The production of fortified rice for the BRIA project at IPB takes place under the supervision of Professor Slamet Budijanto, one of Indonesia s most well-known experts in food technology. Yannick Foing, DSM Regional Marketing Manager, and Judith Smith, DSM Product and Technology Development Manager, expressed their optimism that with such facilities and expertise, the desired quality of premix kernels can be produced very soon. In the future, additional equipment, such as a steamer to improve the quality of premix kernels, may complement the machinery that has already been set up. While the production of premix kernels is ongoing and since private sector s interest has been growing, a regulation on fortified rice should be developed in parallel. At the moment, there is no regulation on product registration, and a clear definition of the claim of the product is still missing. Once the regulation is set and implemented, companies will be allowed to register both their premix kernels and fortified rice products. This will enable more malnourished people in Indonesia to access fortified rice in order to enrich their daily diets. Article contributed by Hastamik Wahyuningsih and Mulia Nurhasan Sellers Perception and Acceptance of Rice Fortification According to a qualitative consumer-focused social market research commissioned by BRIA Indonesia, sellers are, generally, willing to purchase fortified rice as long as the price is affordable to their customers. They are also willing to raise awareness on the health benefits of fortified rice to the customers. These health benefits have also convinced them to buy the rice for their families. Some of them raised concern about the colour of fortified rice, which is not as white as regular rice. According to the food sellers, their customers prefer white rice. This characteristic is more important to them than fluffiness and tenderness, and also cleanness of the rice. The promotion of fortified rice will emphasise health benefits that are connected to its additional micronutrient content. A sufficient intake of vitamins and minerals maintains the body s immune system and prevents physical and mental impairment of children. The fortified rice will be marketed as a clean and highly nutritious quality product, being affordable at a reasonable price. According to the survey, acceptable pricing lies between Rp7,500 (USD0.58) and Rp12,000 (USD0.92) for a kg of fortified rice. New Facilities for Rice Fortification 4 Sample Rice Kernels Produced by Fit Mandiri Company

5 Boosting Rice Production in Vietnam through Intensified Public Private Partnership Vietnam Bayer, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Departments of Agriculture and Rural Development of Dong Thap, Hau Giang and Kien Giang Provinces, and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, celebrated the official launch of the Better Rice Initiative Asia (BRIA) in Vietnam on November 13, The BRIA project in Vietnam aims to intensify Public Private Partnership (PPP) for better rice production and consumption, and to promote the adoption of an innovative and sustainable rice cultivation system along the rice value chain in Mekong Delta region. The focus of BRIA is on innovative and synchronised technology solutions to effectively utilise rice inputs, increase yield and quality, reduce loss and costs, improve labor productivity and the income of farmers, and contribute to the adaptation and mitigation of climate change. BRIA supports different stakeholders in the rice value chain with a Large Field (LF) model and Vietnam s Agriculture Restructuring with enhanced added values and sustainable rice production, said Dr. Phan Huy Thong, Head of the Vietnamese National Agricultural Extension Centre under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. BRIA aims to improve farmers knowledge about rice cultivation, promote the adoption of modern farming technologies in an environmentally friendly manner and improve the rice value chain from input to output. Furthermore, BRIA seeks to link rice production to market to raise rice quality, increase the earnings of smallholder farmers and benefit rice consumers. BRIA in Vietnam has the following three objectives: (1) At least 3,000 paddy farmers from the three provinces of Dong Thap, Hau Giang and Kien Giang adopt and test innovative rice cultivation methods. (2) The incomes of the participating farmers increase by at least 30% through enhanced yields and/or 5 reduced input costs when implementing the innovative rice cultivation methods, as compared to traditional farmer practices. (3) Rice harvested from this project will be certified to rice quality standards of the European market (evaluation is based on the documents related to a certificate of accomplishment issued at the end of the project). Bayer is committed to improving the livelihoods of rice farmers in Vietnam and promoting growth of the country s economy through increased rice yields and productivity. With the majority of Vietnamese rice farmers being smallholders, it is key for the industry to come together through a concerted effort for the adoption of modern technologies. Bayer is pleased to partner with BRIA and other key rice stakeholders to boost local rice production as a whole, said Mr. Torsten Velden, Managing Director of Bayer Vietnam. The cooperation with Bayer is an opportunity to involve the private sector in making rice farming in Vietnam more sustainable. Amongst others, Vietnamese farmers often use excess and wrong pesticides, which is bad for the health of the farmers and consumers, commented Dr. Christian Henckes, GIZ Programme Director of Integrated Coastal Management Programme (ICMP). Besides Bayer, other key stakeholders in this project include Vietnam s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), the Departments of Agriculture and Rural Development of Dong Thap, Hau Giang and Kien Giang, the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and Cuu Long Delta Rice Research Institute (CLRRI), retailers and value chain partners. Article contributed by Nguyen Thi Phuong, Nga

6 Improving Market Linkages for Smallholder Farmers in the Philippines Philippines The Centre for Rural Development (SLE) of Humboldt University of Berlin, Germany has recommended a set of market-oriented measures based on its recently-concluded market study for BRIA Philippines. The purpose is to improve BRIA PH s 2016/2017 plan of operation (POP) for the project component on Better Market Linkages for Smallholder Rice Farmers. Commissioned by the Advisory Service on Agricultural Research for Development of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (BEAF-GIZ), the study was conducted with support from the Climate Change Unit and the Social Sciences Division of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) as well as the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice). The measures offered by the SLE study were based on the following criteria: Feasibility and success prospects of the interventions within the project s remaining timeframe Achieving the objectives and indicators of BRIA s market linkage component Relevance to BRIA s existing and established partnerships with government bodies and other stakeholders Interventions covered from the community up to the provincial levels Conducted from August to September 2015, the study involved interviews and focus group discussions with key actors in the rice sector, e.g. the Department of Agriculture (DA), PhilRice, farmer groups, and the private sector from the national down to the local levels. The preliminary findings of the study were presented to relevant stakeholders in the rice sector including DA, PhilRice, the National Food Authority, IRRI, farmer organisations, and the academe to validate the results and solicit technical inputs before the study team came up with the recommended measures. 6

7 The SLE recommendations address (1) individual farmers, (2) farmer organisations and (3) the entire rice value chain. In order for BRIA to achieve its objective of promoting market-oriented rice production, entrepreneurship and market linkages, BRIA Philippines needs to emphasise approaches and strategies that aim to achieve the following outcomes: Enable farm households to proactively improve their marketing practices, with the establishment of peer-learning platforms, incorporation of marketrelated topics into current capacity-building measures, and facilitation of new marketing arrangements to bring farmers together with potential business partners and raise farmers awareness of the benefits of collective action. Enhance collaborative action within the rice value chain to seize existing potentials, with improvement of intra-value chain exchange to increase coordination and collaboration among actors for efficiency gains, higher resilience and new product development. As BRIA FARMERS is moving toward its second year of project implementation, the SLE recommendations came out propitiously before the upcoming 3rd National Project Steering Committee (NSPC) slated in December The NSPC will further discuss these measures for technical inputs and approval of the body leading towards the implementation of the project next year and beyond. Strengthen farmer organisations as favourable market linkage for smallholder farmers, with training based on assessment of needs, good practice learning and exchange platforms for improvement, and development of incentives systems that cater to smallholder farm households needs. 7

8 Regional Workshop to Achieve Best Rice Cultivation Practices BRIA held a Regional Knowledge Sharing Workshop to focus on Best Rice Cultivation Practices on November 3-5, 2015 at Renaissance Bangkok Ratchaprasong Hotel, Thailand. The objectives were to exchange innovative practices that contribute to sustainable rice cultivation and to incorporate knowledge shared by key players in the agricultural sector in the BRIA projects as well as to scale up best practices. In her welcoming remarks, Dr. Christine Falken- Grosser, Economic and Commercial Counsellor of the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany for Bangkok, highlighted that agriculture, in particular rice cultivation, in Southeast Asia plays a vital role in achieving world food security. Countries in the region face such diverse challenges in the rice sector as topography, policies, and heterogeneous experiences. BRIA, founded under the initiative of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and implemented by GIZ together with partners, shows the engagement of the German government in enhancing rice cultivation in this region. Mr. Vicharn Teangtum, Deputy Director General of the Thai Rice Department, gave an opening speech. He said that according to the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), 90% of the world rice is consumed in Asia although rice is a staple food for nearly half of the world population. Rice farmers in Asia are mostly low-income smallholder farmers. If the fundamentals of food security are availability, access and utilisation, food security is still a problem for rice farmers. Introducing Best Rice Cultivation Practices to develop rice production and maintain a healthy planet, people and profits should address the current situation. The Thai Rice Department has been set up to improve rice varieties to meet global needs, rice production technology, farmers empowerment, cooperation with other stakeholders, value creation, and rice cultivation for sustainable production. Mr. Vicharn ended his remarks by saying that the goals of BRIA should be integrated into the Thai rice development strategy. 8

9 Starting the plenary session on Prospects and Challenges of the Rice Sector in Southeast Asia, Dr. Apichart Pongsrihadulchai presented the Thai National Rice Policy and Regional Cooperation in the Rice Sector in Southeast Asia. Regarding his recommendations for regional cooperation, he envisaged bilateral and multilateral cooperation with international organisations. He suggested information sharing (establishing ASEAN Rice Information Platform and Forum), conducting joint research, joint pest and disease control, exchanging study visits, rice standard setting, food security cooperation (AFSIS or ASEAN Food Security Information System / APTERR or ASEAN Plus Three Emergency Rice Reserve) and a trade forum (AFSRB or ASEAN Food Security Reserve Board) as important interventions. Mr. Bas Bouman, Director of Global Rice Science Partnership (GRiSP), IRRI, presented the Multi-stakeholder Platforms and Partnerships to Overcome the Rice Sector Challenges. In order to tackle poverty eradication, population growth, resource degradation, climate change, and globalisation and accelerated structural transformation, a sustainability toolkit to assist farmers has to be developed. The Sustainable Rice Platform (SRP) Standard, for example, may serve as a tool to mobilise the rice value chain and induce potential benefits. SRP is supported by a global multi-stakeholder network and aims to maintain productivity while minimising the environmental and social footprint. The participants then joined the breakout working groups on Best Rice Cultivation. Six different topics which were discussed included seeding, soil and nutrients, Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and crop protection, farm mechanisation, climate smart rice farming and capacity development. The event ended with a panel discussion on Public- Private Partnership (PPP) Approach to Best Rice Cultivation featuring the following five panellists representing different stakeholders: 1. Dr. Phan Huy Thong, Director of National Agricultural Extension Centre, MARD, Vietnam 2. Mr. Paul Nicholson, Olam International 3. Ms. Tatsanee Setboonsarng, NawaChi One Foundation, Thailand 4. Mr. Bas Baumann, Director, GRiSP, IRRI 5. Mr. Jan Fraeb, GIZ developpp This session reinforced the urgent need for collaboration among different stakeholders along the rice value chain to work hand-in-hand to promote sustainable rice production. 9

10 In Collaboration with National and Regional Agencies and Published by: BRIA Regional Secretariat Office 39/1 Soi Sukhumvit 13, Sukhumvit Road, Klongtoey Nua, Wattana, Bangkok Thailand Responsible for the content: Suriyan Vichitlekarn (BRIA Regional Director) If you want to be added or removed from this mailing list, please contact: